Rebecca Colina Neri

Overview

Rebecca Colina Neri is a leading expert in Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education (CRSE) and systems transformation. As a Senior Research Manager on the Improvement Science team, she empowers state education agencies, regional and local entities, and higher education institutions to address root causes of educational inequities and transform their systems to better serve students, families, and communities. Through research, evaluation, and technical assistance, Neri specializes in supporting educators, leaders, intermediaries, and EdTech companies to design and implement culturally relevant instructional and organizational strategies, critical data inquiry, continuous improvement approaches, and strong community partnerships.

Neri employs mixed-methods research and rapid-cycle evaluation to assess and refine curricula, instructional interventions, and EdTech products for continuous improvement. She integrates co-design, collaborating with educators, students, and communities to align innovations with the lived experiences of diverse learners. Her work focuses on identifying the conditions under which these tools are most effective, examining implementation factors, and providing actionable insights that inform the development of educational innovations. By bridging research and practice, she ensures emerging technologies and curricula are evidence-based and equitably designed.

Neri has designed online learning modules and facilitated professional learning sessions centered on educational equity for K–20 educational leaders in California, Arizona, Oregon, Illinois, Connecticut, and New York. In her work with the Oregon Department of Education, she designed online learning modules and facilitated learning sessions to help educational leaders understand and implement CRSE strategies. Neri also co-designed rubrics and evaluation frameworks with institutions of higher education to enhance teaching, learning, and student belonging. Additionally, Neri partners with educational leaders to apply continuous improvement methodologies, equipping them with the tools and data-driven strategies needed to address systemic inequities and create more equitable and student-centered learning environments.

Neri was previously an Assistant Professor of the Learning Sciences at Indiana University, Bloomington, where she conducted research and teaching related to the intersections of race, culture, teaching, and learning. She won grants to improve the learning and well-being of students of color into and through higher education and received multiple awards for her teaching, research, and service. Neri began her career as a math and science teacher in public, charter, and university partnership schools and has over 20+ years of working across K–20 contexts as an educator, Instructional Coach, Department Chair, Master Teacher, Educational Consultant, Community Liaison, and Improvement Specialist.

Education

• PhD in urban schooling, University of California, Los Angeles  
• MA in education, Stanford University, Palo Alto
• BA in sociology, minor in psychology, Stanford University, Palo Alto

Select Publications

Sandoval, C., & Neri, R. (in press). Towards a continuous improvement for justice. Frontiers in Education.

Neri, R. C., Sandoval, C., Mallett Moore, E., Cunningham, J., Jacobs, J., & Allen, Y. (2023). A research agenda for culturally responsive and sustaining education in mathematics: Essential directions, methodological approaches, and guiding principles. WestEd.

Bhimdiwala, A., Neri, R. C., & Gomez, L. M. (2021). Advancing the design and implementation of artificial intelligence in education through continuous improvement. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 32(3), 756-782.

Rios-Aguilar, C., & Neri, R. C. (Eds.). (2021). Funds of knowledge, community cultural wealth, and the forms of capital: Strengths, tensions, and ethical and practical considerations. Urban Education, 58(7).

Neri, R. C., Rios-Aguilar, C., Zipin, L., & Huerta, A. (2021). Surfacing deep challenges for social-educational justice: Putting funds, wealth, and capital frameworks into dialogue. In C. Rios-Aguilar & R. C. Neri (Eds.), Funds of knowledge, community cultural wealth, and the forms of capital: Strengths, tensions, and ethical and practical considerations. Urban Education.

Neri, R. C. (2020). Difficult funds of knowledge as pedagogical resources for critical consciousness development. Information and Learning Sciences, 121(9/10), 749–767.

Neri, R. C., Lozano, M., & Gomez, L. M. (2019). (Re)framing resistance to culturally relevant education as a multilevel learning problem. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 197–226.

Rose, S., Neri, R. C., & Rios-Aguilar, C. (2019). (Re)contextualizing guided pathways to provide equitable supports. Journal of Applied Research in the Community Colleges, 26(2), 63–74.

Quartz, K. H., Murillo, M., Trinchero, B., & Neri, R. C. (2019). Framing, supporting, and tracking college-for-all reform: A local case of public scholarship. The High School Journal, 102(2), 159–182.

Neri, R. C. (2018). Learning from students’ career ideologies and aspirations. In J. M. Kiyama and C. Rios- Aguilar (Eds.), Funds of knowledge in higher education: Honoring students’ cultural experiences and resources as strengths. Routledge.

Neri, R. C., Lozano, M., Chang, S., & Herman, J. (2016). High-leverage principles of effective instruction for English learners. Center on Standards and Assessments Implementation.

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

Trustees Teaching Award, Indiana University, School of Education, 2021 

Award for Outstanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Achievements, Indiana University, School of Education, 2021 

Emerging Scholar Award, Indiana University, Latino Faculty and Staff Council, 2021